Hair curlers



Nov. 14, 1961 N. SOLOMON 3,008,475

HAIR CURLERS Filed Jan. 8, 1959 A HUB/V5147 3,008,475 HAIR CURLER Nathan L. Solomon, 343 Highview Road, Englewood, NJ. Filed Jan. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 785,615 10 Claims. (Cl. 132-41) This invention relates to devices for use in forming curls in the hair and particularly to hair curlers for selfapplication that make soft, smooth, relatively large curls which curls could be either inwardly or outwardly curved. I

With hair curlers of the type described the hair is rolled and clamped in place. Heretofore, curlers having pivoting members have been unsatisfactory, since their cooperating parts were not adapted to vary with the thickness of the roll of hair to be clamped. Also due to the mechanism used to clamp the hair in place, these types of curlers were relatively expensive. In attempting to avoid these difiiculties, hair curlers were made with the clip member separate from the body member. However, this type of curler did not prove satisfactory smce the clip member was easily misplaced when the members were separated, such as when the curler was being ap plied. Also, the curler proved difficult to operate when self-used, since for ease in operation, the longitudinal edges of the clip or clamping member had to be spread by the user with one hand while the user held the body member with the roll of hair wound thereon in place on her head with the other hand.

Accordingly, a need exists for a lightweight, inexpensive curler having articulating parts that can be used for a variety of types of curls and with varying amounts of hair rolled on the curler and yet should be simple to use even when the curlers are self-applied.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hair-curling device that is easily used by women setting their own hair.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a hair-curling device that has a clipping member rotatably attached to the body member for fixedly holding the hair in place on the curler regardless of the thickness of the roll of hair thereon.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a hair-curling device adaptable for use with varying thickness of rolls of hair that will positively engage the ends of a swatch of hair without injury thereto preparatory to winding the hair on the body member.

t is a still further object of the present invention to provide a hair-curling device that has a clamping member that adjusts to the thickness of the roll of hair, always remaining parallel to the axis of the body member when clamped thereon, and is always in position ready to be removably clamped onto the body member to securely hold the hair in rolled position.

Still another object is to provide a hair-curling device that accomplishes all of the above and yet is simple to use, inexpensive to fabricate, lightweight, allows any moisture in the hair to evaporate, easy to package and reliable and durable in use.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the annexed drawings in which FIG. 1 is a longitudinal front view showing a curling device in accordance with the present invention assembled; V

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view showing the curling device of FIG. 1 in partially open position;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3- of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the hinged end section of the curling device of FIG. 1;

3,008,475 Patented Nov. 14, I961 FIG. 5 is a side view showing the pivoting connection of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view showing the pivoting connection of a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of an embodiment of the clasp showing a flanged end.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 through 4 show one embodiment of the present invention wherein an elongated thin-walled tubular body member 11 has a series of ventilating perforations therein indicated at 12. The perforation may be of any desired form such as diamond shape as shown, oval, grid, or elongated slits. The outer peripheral surface of body member 11 has a series of projections 14 for facilitating grasping a swatch of hair preparatory to rolling the hair onto body member' 11. Projections 14 may be positioned at the apices of perforations 12, as shown in FIG. 2, or may be spaced along the sides of perforations 12. p

A further more positive aid in grasping the ends of a swatch of hair initially before the hair is rolled onto body member 11 is a clasp 16 which has a series of ventilating perforations 17 similar in nature as body member 11. Clasp i6 is elongated and has a length less than the length of body member 11. Clasp 16 is substantially cylindrical, having a longitudinal opening extending from side'to side. The longitudinal edges 19 and 21 of the opening of clasp 16 are bent outwardly to facilitate slipping clasp id onto body member 11, as shown in FIG. 3. Preferably the separation between longitudinal edges 19 and 21 of clasp 16 should be less than the outside diameter of body member 11 but should be large enough so that edges 19 and 22 may be easily spread apart when clasp 16 is applied to body member 11. Clasp 16 is made preferably of some inherently resilient material to allow it to be freely flexed. Since clasp 16 is intended to hold the edges of a swatch of hair in place preparatory to rolling the hair, it could be of a thin strip of material having little clamping force. If desired, clasp 16 may have atleast one end provided with an outwardly extending flange 20, as shown in FIG. 9, retaining the strands of hair on the clasp as the hair is wound thereupon to form a curl. While clasp 16 is preferably used to positively hold the edges of the strands of hair preparatory to the rolling of the hair onto the body member, if desired, the curler may be provided without clasp 16.

Adjacent one end of the internal peripheral surface of body member 11 is a circumferential groove 30 as shown in FIG. 4. Adapted to be longitudinally restrained but freely rotatable within groove 30 is a circumferential protuberance 31 on a plug 28. Plug 28 has substantially the same outside diameter as the inner diameter of body member 11 which surface bears against the inner peripheral surface of body member 11 adjacent the groove 30. Plug 28 is thus freely rotatable about body member 11 but is securely retained therein. On the outwardly exposed end of plug 28 is a lug 25 and extending from opposite ends of lug 25 are a pai-rfof shafts or pins 24 and 26.

For holding the hair in place once the hair has been r wound around body member 11, there is provided a clip member 23. Clip 23 is preferably some inherently resilient material, and has a substantially horseshoe crosssection, having its longitudinal edges 38 and 39 :bent outwardly to facilitate slipping clip 23 into position over the strands of hair Wound on body member 11. It may be preferable to have the space between edges 38 and 39 less than the diameter of body member 23' in order that the clip 23 may remain securely clamped in proper position under substantially all conditions, but the space should be large enough so that edges 38 and 39 may be easily spread apart when the clip is applied to body member 11. Clip 23 is perforated substantially throughout its circumference. Pins 24 and 26 preferably extend beyond projections 41 and 41 as shown in FIG. 1 to keep in pivoting contact with slots 34, 36 respectively even upon the longitudinal sides of clip 23 expanding outwardly when clip 23 is clipped into position onto an excess of hair wound on body member 11. Thus it is seen that clip 23 is both rotatably mounted and pivotally mounted with respect to body member 11. Due to the elongated slots 34 and 36 Within which pins. 24 and 26 are positioned, clip 23 is capable of shifting up or down based on the thickness of the hair on the curler for keeping its axis parallel to the axis of body member 11.

In a modified form of my device, shown in FIGS. and 6, body member 11 is similar as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 through 4, and has circumferential groove adjacent one end. A plug member 54 has a protuberance 55 adjacent one end, which protuberance 1s adapted to be seated in circumferential groove 30 so as to be fixedly retained therein but free to rotate. As shown in FIG. 6, plug 54 has a substantially T-shaped slot 56 with the foot of the base of the T opening on the inwardlyfacing edge and having the head 58 of the T extend beyond the end of body 11 when protuberance 55 is seated in groove 30. A clip member 57 is shown having substantially the same shape and form as clip 23 described above with respect to FIGS. 1 through 4 with the exception of the end projections. Adjacent one end of clip 57 and fixedly mounted therein is a pair of pins or lugs 59 and 61 axially aligned and having their free ends facing each other, as shown in FIG. 5. Pins 59 and 6 1 are pivotally mounted in head 58 of the T-slot 56 m plug 54 and are placed therein by sliding the pins along the base of the T-slot 56 before plug 54- is rotatably mounted in groove 30 of body member 11. Pins 59 and 61 are of sufficient length to remain engaged with head 58 of slot 56 despite any outward movement of the longitudinal sides of clip member 57 due to a large amount of hair being wound upon the body member 11 of the curler.

A further embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 where body member 11 having a circumferential groove 30 is substantially similar in shape and form as described above. Rotatably mounted within one end of body member 11 is a plug 74 having a protuberance 76 adjacent one end and adapted to be seated within groove 30. At the exposed end of plug 74 is a transverse elongated slot 78. Pivotally mounted within slot 78 is a cross bar 81. Cross bar 81 connects the free ends of a generally U shaped plate 84 forming a generally D shaped arm. The base of plate 84 is fixedly mounted to a clip member 83 and plate 84 1S generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of chp member 83. Elongated slot 78 has an opening 87 through which cross-arm 81 could be sprung. However, passageway 37 is preferably smaller than the outer diameter of cross-arm 81 so as to keep cross-arm 81 securely retained in elongated slot 78 in use. Here, as above, the clip member is thus both pivotally mounted and freely rotatable with respect to body member 11 and is adapted to compensate for the difference in thickness of hair rolled on body member 11 so as to keep the clip member parallel to the body member. It should be noted that in this embodiment, since cross bar 81 is mounted to clip 83 at the base of clip 83, the pivoting connection would not be affected by the longitudinal sides of clip 83 expanding when an excess of hair is rolled on body member 11.

In using the device shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, clip member 23 is pivotally opened sufiiciently to leave the outer surface of body member 11 free and accessible. Clamp 16 is snapped off body 11. A quantity of strands of hair is spread upon the outer peripheral surface of body member 11. The projections 14 engage the hair retaining it in place. For more positive retention, clasp 16 is applied to the strands of hair by slipping it onto body member 11, whereupon the side edges 19 and 21 spring outwardly to permit application of clasp 16, and the inherent resiliency of clasp 16 will cause ends 19 and 21 to press tightly around the sides of body mem ber 11, thus positively holding the ends of the strands of hair preparatory to rolling. Body member 11 is rotated easily, winding up a roll of hair thereon. Cli-p 23 is rotated in proper clamping position and pivoted inwardly causing its edges 38 and 39 to spring outwardly to permit its application to body member 11, whereupon the inherent resiliency of clip 23 will cause edges of 38 and 3-9 to press tightly around all sides of the rolled hair and thus hold the hair securely in place. The elongated slots 34 and 36 allow clip 23 to shift up or down based on the thickness of the hair on the curler. This allows clip 23 to compensate for the thickness of the hair and keep its axis parallel to the axis of body member 11, thereby avoiding placing strain on the joint connection. Similarly, pins 24 and 26 are of sufficient length to allow for bowing out of the longitudinal sides of clip 23 whenever an excess thickness of hair is rolled on the curler.

In like manner, the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 may be used in a similar manner with the pivoting clip freely rotating so as to be always in proper clipping position and having compensating means for varying the position of the clip according to the thickness of the roll of hair.

It will be understood that the curler device can be constructed of any suitable materials, but from the standpoint of economy and weight, it would be desirable to form the same from plastic material and particularly utilizing in the pivoting clip member a plastic material having a reasonable amount of resiliency.

While clasp 1 6 was not shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 7, it may be so used in like manner as described in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4. Also if desired, clasp 16 may be pivotally and rotatably mounted with respect to body member 11 similarly as shown with respect to the clipping member but on the opposite end.

While one way of rotatably retaining the plug member in one end of the body member has been described in detail, this invention is not meant to be so limited. One end of the body member could be sWaged providing an outwardly extending lip. A plug having a protuberance adapted to be retained by said lip can be snapped in and out of position.

Also, one end of the body member could be closed with the closure having a centrally positioned aperture. A shaft having substantially the same diameter as said aperture extends therethrough, having secured to the end Within the body member a disc having a larger diameter than the shaft so as to retain the end of the shaft within the body member. Attached to the exposed end of the shaft are pins or elongated slots as described above.

Further, it may be desirable to make the plug removable from the body member, such as making the body member having a degree of resiliency.

Inasmuch as hair when it is curled is usually dampened a slight amount, perforations in the body and clip will permit the moisture to evaporate while the curl is setting as well as reduce the weight.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above it will be understood that many variations thereof will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit thereof. Therefore it is intended that the foregoing description shall be deemed illustrative only and not construed in a limiting sense, the present invention being defined solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A hair curling device comprising a thin walled perforated tubular body member having a circumferential groove adjacent one end, a plug having a circumferential protuberance matingly positioned with respect to said groove and having one end outwardly exposed, said protuberance rotatably seated in said groove for providing rotation of said plug about said body member, a resilient clip member having a substantially horseshoe shaped cross-section, said clip member having a longitudinal opening of less width than the diameter of said body member, and means pivotally and slidably mounting said clip member to the exposed end of said plug for providing radial parallel displacement of said clip member to adjust to the thickness of the hair rolled on said body member so that said clip member is substantially parallel to the axis of said body member when said clip is in clip-on position.

2. A hair curling device comprising a thin walled perforated tubular body member having a circumferential groove on its interior surface adjacent one end, a plug having a circumferential protuberance on its outer surface and having one end outwardly exposed, said protuberance rotatably seated in'said groove for providing rotation of said plug about said body member, said plug having on its exposed face an elongated slot substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said plug, a resilient clip member having a substantially. horseshoe shaped cross-section, said clip member having a longitudinal opening of less width than the diameter of said body member, said clip member having a generally D shaped plate extending from one end at substantially right angles to said clip member longitudinal axis, said plate being mounted so that the straight leg of said D shaped plate faces the opening of said clip member, said straight leg adapted to be slidably received in said elongated slot in said plug, whereby said clip member is pivotable and rotatable with respect to said body member and adapted to be maintained substantially parallel to the axis of said body member when said clip is in clipon position.

3. A hair curling device comprising a thin walled perforated tubular body member having a circumferential groove on its interior surface adjacent one end, a plug having a circumferential protuberance on its outer surface and having one end outwardly exposed, said protuberance adapted to be rotatably seated in said groove for providing rotation of said plug about said body member, said plug having on its exposed face an elongated slot substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said plug, a resilient clip member having a substantially horseshoe shaped cross-section, said clip member having a longitudinal opening of less width than the diameter of said body member and having a pair of elongated pins extending from the interior surface adjacent one end on the legs of the horseshoe, said pins having their axes aligned, said pins adapted to be received and guided in said elongated slot in said plug whereby said clip member is pivotable and rotatable with respect to said body member and adapted to be maintained substantially parallel to the axis of said body member when said clip is in clip-on position.

4. A hair curling device comprising a thin walled perforated tubular body member having a circumferential groove on its interior surface adjacent one end, a plug having a circumferential protuberance on its outer surface and having one end outwardly exposed, said protuberance adapted to be rotatably seated in said groove for providing rotation of said plug about said body member, said plug having a pair of pins extending transversely outwardin opposite directions from the exposed face of said plug, a resilient clip member having a substantially horseshoe shaped cross-section, said clip member having a longitudinal opening of less width than the diameter of said body member and having elongated slots in its legs adjacent one end, said slots adapted to receive and guide said pins on said plug whereby said clip member is pivotable and rotatable with respect to said body member and adapted to be maintained substantially parallel to the axis of said body member when said clip is in clipon position.

5. A hair curler comprising a thin walled, perforated tubular body member having a circumferential groove adjacent one end and having a plurality of projections on its outer surface for initially grasping the ends of a swatch of hair preparatory to rolling, a plug having a circumferential protuberance matingly positioned with respect to said groove and having one end outwardly exposed, said protuberance rotatably seated in said groove to provide rotation of said plug about said body member, a resilient perforated clip member having a substantially horseshoe shaped cross-section, said clip memher having a longitudinal opening of less width than the diameter of said body member, and means pivotally and slidably mounting said clip member to the exposed end of said plug for providing radial displacement of said clip member to adjust the thickness of the hair rolled on said body member so that said clip member is substantially parallel to the axis of said body member when said clip is in clip-on position.

6. A hair curling device comprising a perforated thin walled tubular body member, a plug member adapted to be received in one end of'said body member and having one end outwardly exposed, means retaining said plug in said one end of said body member, said retaining means permitting rotation of said body member about said plug end, a resilient substantially tubular clip member pivotally and slidably mounted on said plug and adapted to be displaced radially away from said body member upon hair being rolled on said body member so that said clip member remains substantially parallel to the axis of said body member in clamped position, said clip member having a longitudinal opening of less width than the diameter of said body member so that said clip member is firmly held in position when detachably mounted on said body member, whereby said clip member is pivotably mounted and freely rotatable with respect to said body member and adapted to adjust to the thickness of the hair rolled thereon.

7. A hair curling device comprising a perforated, thin I walled, tubular body member, a plug member adapted to be received in one end of said body member and having one end outwardly exposed, means retaining said plug in one end of said body member, said retaining means permitting rotation of said body member about said plug, said plug having on its exposed face an elongated slot substantially perpendicular to the, longitudinal axis of said plug, a resilient substantially tubular clip member having a longitudinal opening, said opening being of less Width than the diameter of said body member so that said clip member is firmly held in position when detachably mounted on said body member, said clip member having a generally D shaped plate extending from one end at substantially right angles to said clip member longitudinal axis, said plate being mounted so that the straight leg of said D shaped plate faces the opening of said clip member, said straight leg adapted to be slidably received in said elongated slot in said plug, whereby said clip member is pivotally mounted and freely rotatable with respect to said body member and adapted to be maintained substantially parallel to the axis of said body member when in clamped position.

8. A hair curling device comprising a perforated, thin walled, tubular body member, a plug member adapted to be received in one end of said body member and having one end outwardly 'expos'ed, means retaining said plug in one end of said body member, said retaining means permitting rotation of said body member about said plug, said plug having on its exposed face an elongated slot substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said plug, a resilient substantially tubular clip member having a longitudinal opening, said opening being of less width than the diameter of said body member so that said clip member is firmly held in position when detachably mounted on said body member, said clip member having a pair of axially aligned pins extending from the interior surface adjacent one end, said pins slidably guided in said slot in said plug for expandingly adjusting to the thickness of the hair rolled on said body member so said clip member remains substantially parallel to the axis of said body member when said clip is in clip-on position whereby said clip member is pivotable and rotatable with respect to said body member.

9. A hair curling device comprising a perforated, thin walled, tubular body member, a plug member adapted to be received in one end of said body member and having one end outwardly exposed, means retaining said plug in one end of said body member, said retaining means permitting rotation of said body member about said plug, said plug having a pair of pins extending transversely outward in opposite directions from the exposed face of said plug, a resilient clip member having a substantially horseshoe shaped cross-section, said clip member having a longitudinal opening of less width than the diameter of said body member and having elongated slots in its legs adjacent one end, said slots adapted to receive said pins on' said plug whereby said clip member is pivotable and rotatable with respect to said body member and adapted to be maintained substantially parallel to the 8 axis of said body member when said clip is in clip-on position.

10. A hair curling device comprising a perforated, thin walled, tubular body member, a resilient perforated substantially tubular clamp member having a diameter greater than the diameter of said body member, said clam-p member being of a length to fit between the ends of said body member and having a longitudinal opening from end to end of less Width than the diameter of said body member, said clamp member being adapted to positively engage the ends of a swatch of hair preparatory to winding the hair on said body member upon being mounted on said body member, a resilient, perforated substantially cylindrical clip member having a diameter greater than the diameter of said clamp member and having a longitudinal opening of less width than the diameter of said body member, so that said clip member fixedly holds the hair rolled on said body member upon being detachably mounted on said body member, a plug received in one end of said body member, means for retaining said plug in one end of said body member, said retaining means permitting rotation of said plug, and means 'slidably pivoting said clip member to said plug for maintaining said clip member substantially parallel to the axis of said body member with varying thickness of hair rolled on said curler, whereby said clip member is pivotally mounted and freely rotatable with respect to said body member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,418,291 Diaz June 6, 1922 1,589,183 Leunis June 15, 1926 1,618,306 Pederscn Feb. 22, 1927 2,283,517 Visitacion May 19, 1942 2,429,176 Watson Oct. 14, 1947 2,611,378 King et al. Sept. 23, 1952 2,613,679 Vaughn Oct. 14, 1952 

